


Staking a claim

by daisyisnotaflower



Category: Cut & Run - Madeleine Urban & Abigail Roux
Genre: Fluff and Humor, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-22
Updated: 2014-08-22
Packaged: 2018-02-14 05:56:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,402
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2180523
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/daisyisnotaflower/pseuds/daisyisnotaflower
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ty thinks too much.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Staking a claim

**Author's Note:**

  * For [trinielf82](https://archiveofourown.org/users/trinielf82/gifts).



> Thank you to [FrequencyOnion](http://archiveofourown.org/users/FrequencyOnion/pseuds/FrequencyOnion) for all your beta help!

The thing about retirement was, you had a lot of time to think.  
And Ty hated having time to think. Even when his hands were busy with one tool or another while he was working on the bookstore, his mind was always working overtime. Still, he kept trying to force himself to stay on track and focus on the current task at hand. At the moment, he was putting up scaffolding to reach a particularly vexing part of a leaky roof. That roof needed fixing first, before he did anything else on that floor. Ty tried focusing on it long enough to finish it, although right now it was difficult. He found himself pausing every so often to reflect on something that was so near and quite dear to him.

_Zane._

Sure, married life was bliss, and he smiled at that. He was so happy now. So happy to wake up to Zane every morning. Sometimes Ty found himself wrapped around Zane as he woke. Most often, though, they woke up spooned together, with Zane pretty much always the big spoon. And Ty also found he loved to burrow under Zane when he woke up and to cuddle.  
Ty also loved watching his husband get ready for work. He loved watching him choose the suit of the day, and loved watching him dress in it. Sometimes Ty would even help with the tie.  
And then, whilst tying and fussing with the clothes, they’d glance at each other in the mirror, smirk, and everything would come right back off again. Sometimes with care, sometimes … not so much.

Those were the best mornings. Ty snorted at himself, the domesticity of it all was beginning to get to his head. Soon as Zane had left and he was alone again, though, Ty would start thinking again. He would start thinking about everything Zane was telling him about work. That there was a new, cute colleague in the office. Well built, too, apparently. Easy to talk to. Good at everything. And he did mean everything. Conversation, work. Empathy. Even taught Zane new puns.

It riled Ty up like nothing else, to hear him go on and on and on about this new guy. What was the name again. Oh yes, Alex. Fucking perfect Alex. Even now, as he tightened another bit of scaffolding, Ty’s blood boiled, thinking about it. If there was one more story, just one more pun…

He paused his work as that idea sank in again, nudging his overheating brain. It had taken hold yesterday, when Zane had told him about yet more puns the guy had delivered. Much as he’d loved the way Zane had laughed about the other man’s jokes, Ty had gotten riled up indeed. Sex last night had been … interesting. Rougher than usual. Far more passionate. Ty had really done his best to claim Zane. Mark him as his.

Today, Zane’s dress shirt collar didn’t remotely cover the hickey, he’d made sure of that. Ty grinned, replaying the early morning in his mind. Soon as Zane’d started about Alex again, Ty had gone for another claiming round.

There’d been a satisfied smile on Zane’s face as he left for work, even covered in hickeys. Let Alex pun on that, Ty had thought, equally satisfied.

That new idea was still festering in him, though, turning and twisting his insides, making him fret if it was the right thing to do. But he had to know. Had to. He trusted Zane, though, but Ty needed to know for certain.

Decision finally made, he tossed down the wrench and picked his way down the ladder. It wouldn’t do to trip and fall right now, not when he was on a mission for the truth.

Ty hurried back to the row house for a change of clothes that weren’t as greasy and stained as his overalls.

Gritting his teeth, he next drove to the Bureau, the route still as familiar to him as ever. As he parked his car in the visitor’s lot, Ty felt a pang of regret, but he quickly shoved that down. He’d made his decision to retire and be with Zane, and he’d stand by it. Procuring a visitor’s badge from the receptionist went like a charm and Ty made his way up to their floor for the first time in months. Their floor. Huh. It was just Zane’s, now, of course. And their team’s.

As he rode up in the elevator, Ty found he’d missed this place. So much had happened here. He’d met Zane here. And then everything else.

Getting out the elevator, Ty ignored a, "Hey, Grady!" greeting from an excited passer-by and made his way over to the receptionist, intent on finding out who this Alex person was he’d heard so much about. Before he got there, though, a flash of red hair was all he saw when next he was wrapped up in a bear hug.

"Ty! Oh my god," Clancy exclaimed. „What are you doing here, it’s so good to see you!" Her smile was genuine and warm, and Ty found himself smiling back at her. So yes, he’d missed her, too, according to the small ache in his chest.

“Hey, Red," he greeted her, after managing to free himself. He was about to talk to her about Alex, but then there was a slap on his back and Ty turned around, bristling at his attacker, ready to strike back. Only to be greeted with the smirking face of Alston. 

“Thought that was you." Alston said.

“Scott." Ty just said with an eye-roll, then looked around, trying to spot Alex. There didn’t seem to be anyone unfamiliar walking around, not at first glance anyway.  
Zane’s office door seemed closed, but just as he looked over there, it opened, and Zane stood there, smiling and talking to a woman.  
She then left with a smile at Zane, and a stack of paperwork.

Ty frowned. Too intent on his visitor, Zane hadn’t noticed him yet.

“So, where is he?" Ty asked his two former colleagues.

“Where is who?"

“The new guy."

“What new guy?" Alston asked, eyebrows raising.

“Alex? Puns, gay, athletic?"

“I don’t know of any Alex working here," Michelle said carefully, looking Ty up and down, probably wondering what in the world Ty was babbling about.

“You sure?" Ty’s voice rose, incredulous at her denial. What the hell was going on here? What was Zane doing, riling him all up about somebody neither Alston nor Clancy knew about? If there was a new guy, then they would surely know who and where he was?  
“Fuck." He breathed, finally getting it. There was no new guy. Zane had made him up. Just to get Ty jealous enough so he wouldn’t get bored and think too much, maybe. Piecing the puzzle together was easy now. He’d been such an idiot. A damn fool idiot.

The other two looked at each other, and back at Ty, smiling with a curious look in their eyes.

“What’s going on, Ty?"

“Yeah, Ty, what’s going on?"

A very familiar, sarcastic Texan drawl sent shivers down his spine, and Ty turned around in a fit of rage. How dare he. How…

“YOU FUCKER!"

Zane’s smirk only grew bigger. He knew he’d been had, the bastard.

Ignoring the surprised shouts of his former colleagues, Ty launched himself at Zane, shoving him roughly against the wall and started to shower him with kisses. He ignored the applause and whoops that followed from Clancy and Alston, and cursed at Zane between kisses and caresses. He muttered an incoherent, angry litany about the whole stupid plan driving him crazy.

Zane smiled, eyes warm as he returned the kisses, steering them inside his office for some privacy. He chuckled throughout Ty’s litany, and Ty heard him agree in a murmured apology. “You caught me, baby.”

“Didn’t think I’d figure it out, huh?” Ty asked, calming down enough to look Zane in the eye.

“I was wondering when you’d catch on. Though I was hoping for a little more…. claiming.” Did Zane’s eyes sparkle or was that Ty’s imagination?

Ty narrowed his eyes. “Claiming? You want me to claim you, yeah?” _Just making sure_.

Zane shrugged a shoulder, still watching him.

Ty grinned evilly and advanced on Zane, manhandling him toward the desk. “Claiming, it is.”

And claiming Zane right there in Zane’s office, he did.


End file.
